Weber's Lillard a Cousy Award finalist

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Ogden •The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that Weber State junior Damian Lillard has been named one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award.

The honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guard in college basketball.

Lillard, a native of Oakland, Calif., leads the nation in scoring at 25.2 points per game, and has led the Wildcats to a 10-3 overall record and 2-0 Big Sky Conference record. He has scored 20 or more points in 10 of the Wildcats' 13 games this season, including a career-high 41 points in a Dec. 3 win over San Jose State. He also ranks eighth in the nation in three-pooint field goals made per game and is 19th in the country in free throw percentage. He ranks sixth in Weber State history in career scoring with 1,477 points going into this weekend's games.

The list of 20 finalists includes 11 players currently on nationally ranked teams. The 20 finalists will be narrowed down to 10 in early February and then down to five in early March.